Skills
Physician Assistant Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in physician assistants, and how to build and show them.
What skills do physician assistants need?
Physician Assistants need technical skills such as patient assessment, diagnosis, and pharmacology, plus people skills like communication and empathy. They also use tools such as Electronic health records and Stethoscope and exam tools.
Technical (hard) skills
- Patient assessment
- Diagnosis
- Pharmacology
- Procedures
- Interpreting tests
- Clinical documentation
People (soft) skills
- Communication
- Empathy
- Teamwork
- Critical thinking
Tools, equipment and technology
- Electronic health records
- Stethoscope and exam tools
- Diagnostic imaging and lab systems
- Suture and procedure kits
- E-prescribing
- Clinical decision tools
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how physician assistants put their skills to work:
- How to perform a focused patient assessment
- How to write a clear SOAP note
- How to close a laceration with sutures
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Patient assessment” and “Diagnosis.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “communication,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as PA-C (NCCPA certification) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our physician assistant glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Physician Assistant training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.